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Ricky Hickman

Ricky Hickman is a 31 year old 190 cm guard from Kernersville North Carolina that is going into his 11th professional season and second in Germany and first with Brose Bamberg. He played his college basketball career at North Carolina-Greensboro from 2003-2007. In his senior year, he played 30 games averaging 14.3ppg, 3.4rpg, 2.4apg, 1.7spg, FGP: 36.5%, 3Pts: 27.8%, FT: 70.9%. In 2007-2008, he played in Romania for CS Otopeni Bucuresti playing 11 games and averaging 19.0ppg, 4.2rpg, 4.3apg, 1.8spg, 2FGP: 60.4%, 3PT: 29.8%, FT: 70.8%. In 2008-2009, he played in Germany for LTi Giessen 46ers playing 24 games and averaging 6.9ppg, 1.7rpg, 1.3apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 41.4%, 3PT: 28.6%, FT: 65.7%. In the 2009-2010 season he played for Namika Lahti (Finland-Korisliiga) playing 38 games leading the league in scoring at 23.7ppg), 5.4rpg, Assists-2(3.8apg), Steals-3(2.4spg), FGP-3(62.8%), 3PT: 39.9%, FT: 73.2. In the 2010-2011 season he moved to Fastweb Junior Casale Monferrato (Italy-Lega2) playing 41 games averaging 17.5ppg, 2.8rpg, Assists-4(4.0apg), 2.0spg, FGP: 55.5%, 3PT: 40.7%, FT: 84.3%. In the 2011-2012 season he moved another step up joining Scavolini Siviglia Pesaro (Italy-SerieA) playing 41 games averaging 16.0ppg, 2.9rpg, 2.9apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 58.4%, 3PT: 38.4%, FT: 81.1%. He then played at Maccabi Electra Tel-Aviv (Israel-Premier League) from 2013-3024 winning the Euroleague in his second season where he played 38 games averaging 10.7ppg, 2.8rpg, 3.0apg, FGP: 45.6%, 3PT: 40.4%, FT: 82.7%; He also played 38 Euroleague games averaging 12.2ppg, 2.6rpg, 2.7apg, FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 32.3%, FT: 75.2%. He then played two seasons at Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul (Turkey-TBL) and in his second season played 10 games averaging 5.1ppg, 2.0rpg, 1.5apg, FGP: 45.8%, 3PT: 21.4%, FT: 74.1%;He also played 20 Euroleague games averaging 4.6ppg, 1.3rpg, 1.3apg. Last season he played for EA7 Emporio Armani Milano (Italy-Serie A) playing 34 games averaging 10.6ppg, 2.6rpg, 2.8apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 49.6%, 3PT: 40.6%, FT: 71.4%. He also played 20 Euroleague games averaging 10.1ppg, 2.6rpg, 3.3apg, FGP: 41.9%, 3PT: 34.9%, FT: 80.2%. He spoke to German Hoops about basketball.

Thanks Ricky for talking to German Hoops and welcome back to Germany. So many great players and character guys come from North Carolina like you, Chris Oliver and Kyle Hines just to name a few. Is there really something special in the North Carolina air that has given the basketball world so many great players and basketball people?

North Carolina is just a basketball state and so many guys just eat, sleep, and play basketball all day. I believe that guys in North Carolina just have such a strong love for the game and I believe it shows if you watch them play

I remember when you played with Giessen. You played 24 games averaging 6.9ppg, 1.7rpg, 1.3apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 41.4%, 3PT: 28.6%, FT: 65.7%. You lost twice to your future team Bamberg losing by an average 19 points and you scored a total of 3 points in 32 minutes. When you look back at the last nine years, were you just a slow starter as a professional and needed more time to mature and develop as a player

When I was in Giessen I was coming into a situation with a new team in the middle of the year and I was still young trying to find myself and I definitely remember playing against Bamberg and just thinking after we got smacked that it was another level I had to get to if i wanted to be at that level. So I worked and here I am.

The next season you went to Finland to play for Namika Lahti (Finland-Korisliiga) playing 38 games: Score-1(23.7ppg), 5.4rpg, Assists-2(3.8apg), Steals-3(2.4spg), FGP-3(62.8%), 3PT: 39.9%, FT: 73.2%. This was the turning point of your career as after this you got signed by Italian teams but even there in your first season had to play in the second division and after that became a Euroleague player. What was it in your season in Finland that really shaped your game and did the mental part of the game also play a role?

In Finland it was the first time at the pro level were a coach told me play your game don’t look at me on the sidelines and I trust you! This feeling was unbelievable and I took full advantage of the trust and the freedom. Maybe too much but I loved just playing like that and it showed throughout the season

Ricky Hickman is a 24 year old 190 cm guard from Kernersville North Carolina. He played his college basketball career at North Carolina-Greensboro from 2003-2007. In his senior year, he played 30 games averaging 14.3ppg, 3.4rpg, 2.4apg, 1.7spg, FGP: 36.5%, 3Pts: 27.8%, FT: 70.9%. In 2007-2008, he played in Romania for CS Otopeni Bucuresti playing 11 games and averaging 19.0ppg, 4.2rpg, 4.3apg, 1.8spg, 2FGP: 60.4%, 3PT: 29.8%, FT: 70.8%. In 2008-2009, he played in Germany for LTi Giessen 46ers playing 24 games and averaging 6.9ppg, 1.7rpg, 1.3apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 41.4%, 3PT: 28.6%, FT: 65.7%. This season, he is playing in Finland for Namika Lahti and is second in the league in scoring with 24,4ppg. He took some time to talk to German Hoops.